Brainstorming Ideas Into Designs

Help turn ideas into fully formed designs and specs through natural collaborative dialogue.

Start by understanding the current project context, then ask questions one at a time to refine the idea. Once you understand what you're building, present the design and get user approval.

When to Use This Skill

• Before implementing a new feature or component
• When requirements are vague or underspecified
• When multiple valid approaches exist
• Before any creative work that modifies behavior

Anti-Pattern: "This Is Too Simple To Need A Design"

Every project goes through this process. A todo list, a single-function utility, a config change — all of them. "Simple" projects are where unexamined assumptions cause the most wasted work. The design can be short (a few sentences for truly simple projects), but you MUST present it and get approval.

Process

1. Explore Project Context

• Check files, docs, recent commits
• Understand existing patterns and conventions
• Identify constraints and dependencies

2. Ask Clarifying Questions

• One question at a time — don't overwhelm
• Prefer multiple choice when possible, but open-ended is fine too
• Focus on: purpose, constraints, success criteria
• If a topic needs more exploration, break it into multiple questions

3. Propose 2-3 Approaches

• Present options with trade-offs
• Lead with your recommended option and explain why
• Apply YAGNI ruthlessly — remove unnecessary features

4. Present Design

• Scale each section to its complexity: a few sentences if straightforward, up to 200-300 words if nuanced
• Ask after each section whether it looks right so far
• Cover: architecture, components, data flow, error handling, testing
• Be ready to go back and clarify if something doesn't make sense

5. Get Approval

• Present the complete design
• Wait for explicit user approval before proceeding
• If user requests changes, revise and re-present

6. Transition to Implementation

• Once approved, proceed to create an implementation plan
• Break the design into actionable tasks

Key Principles

• One question at a time — Don't overwhelm with multiple questions
• Multiple choice preferred — Easier to answer than open-ended when possible
• YAGNI ruthlessly — Remove unnecessary features from all designs
• Explore alternatives — Always propose 2-3 approaches before settling
• Incremental validation — Present design, get approval before moving on
• Be flexible — Go back and clarify when something doesn't make sense

Guidelines

• Never skip the design phase, even for "simple" changes
• Keep designs proportional to complexity
• Document decisions and rationale
• Consider edge cases and error handling upfront
• Think about testing strategy as part of the design